Occupation: Breaker of Records

She has enjoyed more career-defining moments throughout her career than most – from scoring a magnificent goal in a 2011 FIFA World Cup quarter-final, to scoring a double century in an Ashes test, to taking seven wickets in an ODI against England.

Ellyse Perry is one of the unsung heroes of sport.

Throughout her school years, the budding athlete born in Sydney played several sports, including golf, football and cricket as well as athletics.

But shortly after she turned 16 in 2007, football and cricket took over when she made her Australia debut in both sports within the space of two weeks.

Perry was fast-tracked into the Australian cricket team for a series against New Zealand, making her the youngest-ever cricketer to represent the country.

Her football debut came in a match against Hong Kong just a matter of days later and she remarkably scored two minutes after entering the pitch.

In 2011, she was named in the Australia squad for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany, making her first appearance in a group game against Norway and becoming the first-ever player to appear in both ICC and FIFA World Cups.

To cap off her impressive tournament, she scored a world-class goal in the quarter-final against Sweden, firing the ball into the top corner from 23 meters out.

In 2010, she was Australia’s leading wicket-taker at the Women's World T20 in the Caribbean. That included a player-of-the-match performance in the final, where her three wickets helped restrict New Zealand in a thrilling run chase.

She went on to play a vital role in all of Australia’s four ICC World Cup victories in as many years. She will forever be remembered for the 2013 World Cup final against West Indies, when, barely able to walk, she limped in to bowl 10 overs and took 3/19.

Her credentials as an cricketing allrounder were growing and between 2014 and 2019 she produced stunning returns which included an Ashes double century in Sydney (213 not out).

Now 32, Perry created cricket history last week in the second Women’s Ashes ODI against England in Southampton. A sensational innings of 91 runs took her past 6000 international career runs – becoming the first Australian, male or female, to achieve this milestone. Showing absolute class, Perry’s bat has sent the ball travelling to the boundary like a tracer bullet.

In the ODI format, she has accumulated 3518 runs at a magnificent average of 50.2. In the seven tests she has played, the Aussie spearhead has scored two 100s and four 50s.

What’s even more impressive is that she has also taken 300 wickets in international cricket – making her part of a special group of cricketers like Imran Khan, Ian Botham, Wasim Akram, Jacques Kallis and Andrew Flintoff.

The 32-year-old is currently standing at 38 wickets in tests, 162 in ODIs, and 123 in T20I’s.

Ellyse Perry’s achievements are not only remarkable in women’s cricket, but also in the broader cricketing world and a shining example of her exceptional skills, talent and dedication.